Report: Google Barge Headed for New Home in Stockton

Google must move its floating "interactive space" from San Francisco's Treasure Island and it could arrive in the Port of Stockton next week, according to CNET.

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Google's mysterious barge project has apparently been on hiatus since last October but the floating product showroom, or whatever it is, could soon be moving from Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay to a new berth in Stockton, Calif., according to CNET.

The search giant has been playing its cards close to the vest with regards to the barge and the unfinished, multi-story white structure sitting on top of it, but CNET on Wednesday cited a Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) official as saying the craft would be making a move "as early as next week."

The Port of Stockton is an inland deepwater port on the San Joaquin River connecting to the northern reaches of the San Francisco Bay via the Sacramento River. The port director of the Port of Stockton told CNET that he "had not been in contact with Google," but the company is apparently working through a pier-leasing firm called Bay Ship & Yacht, according to the TIDA official.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this month, Google was ordered to remove its barge from Treasure Island after officials failed to secure the necessary permits.

Responding to complaints, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) investigated the Google barge, and found that neither TIDA nor the city of San Francisco had construction permits for the site.

"Operating without a permit within BCDC's jurisdiction is a violation of state law and is grounds for the imposition of administrative civil penalties," commission executive director Larry Goldzband wrote in a letter to the TIDA, which was shared with PCMag.

The BCDC said Google would have to move the barge to a designated construction zone in the San Francisco Bay, though CNET's reporting suggests the company may be opting for a new site even further inland.

Google's floating construction project garnered attention in late October, when it first appeared in the San Francisco Bay and was quickly linked to the company. Google initially declined to comment on the barge, but in November, it announced that the boat is an "interactive space" intended to showcase Google's new technology.

"Although it's still early days and things may change, we're exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology," a spokesman said at the time. There's been speculation that Google's more experimental products and concepts, like Google Glass and self-driving cars, would be showcased on the barge.

The project has reportedly already cost Google $35 million. Though no work on the structure seems to have been done since authorities raised the permit issue, Google could be on the hook for a total of $474,000 in rent through Aug. 31 for the Treasure Island berth according to its lease, a CNET reported, though there is a provision giving the company the "ability to vacate the premises with 30 days' notice."

Damon Poeter got his start in journalism working for the English-language daily newspaper The Nation in Bangkok, Thailand. He covered everything from local news to sports and entertainment before settling on technology in the mid-2000s. Prior to joining PCMag, Damon worked at CRN and the Gilroy Dispatch. He has also written for the San Francisco Chronicle and Japan Times, among other newspapers and periodicals.
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